


Hair and Tentacles

by Thistlerose



Category: Star Trek (2009)
Genre: F/M, Humor, Tentacles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-01-05
Updated: 2011-01-05
Packaged: 2017-10-14 10:48:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 752
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/148435
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thistlerose/pseuds/Thistlerose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nyota has always been vain about her hair, and can't resist when people ask if they can play with it. It doesn't matter if people are her friends' younger sisters or tentacled aliens.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hair and Tentacles

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Rubynye](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rubynye/gifts).



The last time someone asked if she could play with her hair, Nyota was thirteen and sleeping over at her friend Bahati’s house. They had made a mountain of pillows on the floor and were sprawled over it in their pajamas, watching a holovid. Bahati’s younger sister Shani wandered in and, after lingering in the doorway for about ten minutes, asked in a shy voice, if she could braid Nyota’s hair.

Bahati hissed and made a dismissive gesture with her hand, but Nyota glanced over her shoulder and smiled at Shani. “Sure,” she said, and sat back on her heels, tilting her head so her hair spilled down her back in a gorgeous black wave.

“She’s such a brat,” Bahati said, her gaze on the vidscreen, where the handsome hero was getting his ass rescued by the brave, intuitive heroine. “You’re way too nice.”

Shani dropped to her knees behind Nyota and grabbed two thick handfuls of her hair.

“Ow,” said Nyota.

“Sorry,” Shani whispered.

The truth was, Nyota wasn’t nice. Not _too_ nice, anyway. She was vain about her hair, and loved when people played with it. It made her feel like a queen. Not that she would ever admit it.

*

The last place she expected to be asked if someone could play with her hair was Rbana III, home to the Zants, a species of sentient cephalopod-like creatures who communicated via telepathy and were rather interested in joining the Federation. Nevertheless, while perched on a wave-lapped boulder, watching some leathery avians swoop and dive over the surf, Nyota felt a tap on her ankle, and glanced down to see one of the Zants, its long tentacles undulating gently.

 _Please,_ it said, _you have the most interesting tentacles I have ever seen. May I…?_

Nyota was confused at first, but the Zant obviously picked up on that because it raised another tentacle and gave her ponytail a tug.

“Oh!” she exclaimed. “Oh, um. Sure. Do you want me to come down to you?”

 _That would be easiest._

So Nyota toed off her boots, and scrambled down the side of the boulder. The water was warm and not terribly deep. Her toes found the sandy bottom. She reached around and undid the clasp that held her hair back. It tumbled down her shoulders and into the water, where it floated around her like a corona. Her skirt floated as well, and she tried to smooth it down over her thighs, but the waves kept billowing it up and out. Telling herself not to be embarrassed, that the Zants – who wore no clothes or any other ornamentation – had no interest at all in her panties, she let go.

She stiffened as the Zant wrapped a tentacle around her waist, but it was only to hold her steady. Two more tentacles wriggled up her back, tickling her. They slid into her hair, parting it, tangling it around themselves, trying not to pull too hard.

 _You have strange tentacles,_ the Zant said. _But the texture is pleasant. I like touching it._

“Thank you,” said Nyota, with pride.

At that moment, she spotted Leonard, walking along the shore. He’d taken off his boots and socks, and rolled up his pants. Nyota waved to him, and the Zant mimicked her, flapping a tentacle in the air.

Leonard saw them, and stopped walking. He waved back, and Nyota saw the smile tugging at his plush, pink lips. She smiled too. Ordinarily, she had an aversion to anyone seeing her at anything less than her best, but just then, she didn’t mind. She felt delightfully absurd, with her skirt floating around her like petals, and a Zant tangling its tentacles in her hair.

 _You are fond of him,_ the Zant observed.

“Yes,” said Nyota. It was something she had never admitted before, to anyone but herself. He wasn’t exactly the handsome hero she’d envisioned as a young teenager, but over the past few months, she been surprised to find herself growing very, very fond of him.

 _You should ask him to join us. Although,_ the Zant went on, _his tentacles are not as nice as yours._

“That’s okay. I’ll play with them. Leonard!” she called. “Come here! We want to play with you!” It sounded ridiculous, and she pressed her fingers to her lips to smother her giggle.

He cocked an eyebrow, giving her his best, _I am in space with a bunch of lunatics_ look.

But then he pulled off his shirt and joined them.

7/3/10


End file.
